Chitin is an important structural component of the hyphae of many wood staining fungi and its disruption can lead to dramatic declines in their growth. A number of bioprotectants have been shown to produce chitinases in liquid cultures, but the role of these enzymes in bioprotection remains poorly understood. The levels of these enzymes was studied by inoculating ponderosa pine sapwood wafers with liquid cultures of either Serratia plymuthica or Trichoderma harzianum. The wafers were then inoculated with a mixture of wood staining fungi and incubated for 4 weeks at 23 to 25°C. The wafers were then evaluated for degree of stain prior to extraction and analyzed for chitinase activity. Chitinase activity appeared to increase with increasing degree of bioprotection for several isolates of Trichoderma harzianum, while the relationship was less clear with Serratia plymuthica.

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